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POOR FELLA – MY COUNTRY IS BEING DESTROYED BY GOVERNMENTS WHICH ARE ENVIRONMENTAL VANDALS The dreadful news that Adani has been given the go-ahead for the Carmichael mine is tragic. This will be the biggest coal mine in the Read more

REEF TRIPE – THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND MAINSTREAM MEDIA’S LATEST EFFORTS We are living in a global madhouse. Our wildlife and natural resources are paying a terrible price for the corruption and criminal neglect which passes for governance and objective Read more

Professor Terry Hughes tweeted this photo of Max Reef near Lizard Island on Monday night. He is surveying the northern two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef after the worst coral bleaching event in history. PICTURE: TWITTER Science & Technology State Read more

Catholic mother fined after protesting against coal mining September 23, 2016 Fined: Maryanne Hemsley (inset) and the protesters outside Newcastle Local Court. SYDNEY Catholic Maryanne Hemsley said her arrest and conviction for standing up against using coal and other fossil Read more

GREAT BARRIER REEF/AUSTRALIA FOR SALE ?

This is a personal message not attributable to the conservation organizations I work for.

Australia is ,arguably, at the most critical of crossroads environmentally, economically, and ethically. Our precious natural resources, unique wildlife, ecosystems, ancient wildernesses , national parks and even World Heritage areas are up for grabs. So too are our communities, agricutural land, rivers, wetlands, along with farmers, commercial fishers, industry and renewable energy .

The only ‘real’ Coalition operating in Australia is the one which exists between the oil, gas and mining industries, their mates in the state and federal governments and oppositions, together with big financial investors and overseas interests. The collective and considerable efforts to sell-out the country by the ‘real’ Coalition are supported by a viciously biased media and an economic system which creates a balance sheet eliminating any value for the environment and ecosystems on which all life depends.

A seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of vested interests hell bent on raising growth and consumption at any cost is rolling across this vast continent taking everything in its way.

At a time when we should be focused on austerity, living simply, conserving energy, growing our own food or supporting local markets. produce, market gardeners, and farmers, instead the corporate media, that expensive snake oil salesperson, invites more and more consumption. Big corporations like Woolworths and Coles are driving small business and farmers to extinction. Competition is completely one sided.

Living in the city makes living simply more complicated but the pressures of this awful political and economic climate we’re living through demand that we create communities for our social and physical survival.

I was in Coles this week looking for some fresh asparagus for a quiche. Oh yes, there was plenty of asparagus but it all came from Peru. I asked the nearby grocer who was stacking fruit, why Coles was selling asparagus from Peru.

” It’s out of season here”, was his reply.

” Well can’t you just tell shoppers it’s out of season ?” I said.
” Oh no, we have to give people what they want, when they want it.”

That’s the mantra of the exploiters. You deserve to have anything and everything you want. No matter how much debt you end up with, or how compromised your health.

If you want something, get it !

” The economy will collapse if there’s no growth !” is another mantra. Obviously, the real Coalition has never heard of Cuba. Dedicated to their ancient, wicked paradigm of growth, wealth for the few, exploit it all, control of political systems, these people cannot contemplate new ways. Non humans have no meaning other than their usefulness to exploit and generate mega dollars.

There is no real voice for the environment. At a time when Australia is facing the potential destruction of our way of life,and our unique natural heritage the Greens are focused on social issues. What about the big conservation groups ? Does anyone hear them jumping up and down with rage over the destruction of Australia’s environment ? Yes, rage is the right emotion.

Think about the Great Barrier Reef and its exquisite beauty. Scientists I meet with overseas can’t believe the Federal government would put this magnificent World Heritage Area at risk. They gape in horror at the projected number of ports, dredging, infrastructure construction and massive increase in shipping vessels which will travel up and down the reef every hour of every day of every week of every month all through the year for 20 years. How will Humpbacks fare as they travel to their breeding grounds, some with calves at their side?

What about the massive, exponential resource industry operation along the west coast of Western Australia ? How will the Humpbacks migrate through the noise and interference with their acoustic environment ? What are the Kimberleys worth ? Or Darwin Harbour where a Japanese company is planning to blast the Harbour for three months prior to the construction of a massive gas field.

The Great Australian Bight, a critical habitat for Blue Whales, has been handed over to the mining industry. Martin Ferguson, Minister for Resource Hand-outs to Corporations, has even given BP an exploration license. Apparently Ferguson doesn’t read the news or know of the unbelievable damage to the marine environment in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the BP spill. Crabs are being born without claws, blind prawns, fish with lesions – the marine ecosystem in the Gulf is seriously ill. What is the value of the Gulf of Mexico ? How much is the Great Australian Bight worth ? Blue Whales ?

Julia Gillard is the most anti environmental PM this country has ever experienced. Her reign of terror is going to be felt for a long while to come as the environment is increasingly trashed by the resource industry. Her death grip on power has only come because of the Greens and independents who have delusions of grandeur and are out of touch with the people.

Gillard’s and her Ministers have one goal, staying in power. If they can produce a balance sheet that gives Australia the economic creds needed to satisfy big business ( International Monetary Fund, OEDC etc) at the expense of Australians that’s okay. Sacrificing the Great Barrier Reef is a small cost to this dreadful government for staying in power.

Would the Coalition be any different ? The short answer is no. The Liberal National Party are just as gung ho in favour of the resource industry, the only difference being that they’re right out front about their policies.

Australians are going to have to stand up and be counted if this country is to have anything worth saving. How we do this, how we get our democracy back is the zen koan of our times.

Comments

GREAT BARRIER REEF/AUSTRALIA FOR SALE ? — 3 Comments

Australians are going to have to stand up and be counted if this country is to have anything worth saving. Julia Gillard is the most anti environmental PM this country has ever experienced. Her reign of terror is going to be felt for a long while to come as the environment is increasingly trashed by the resource industry. Gillard and her Ministers have one goal, staying in power. If they can produce a balance sheet that gives Australia the economic creds needed to satisfy big business ( International Monetary Fund, OEDC etc) at the expense of Australians that’s okay. Sacrificing the Great Barrier Reef is a small cost to this dreadful government for staying in power.

This is a manifestation of forces far greater outside of Australian politics……the global financial system…..and the few that control it…….the only way to deal with this is to take our money out of international financial system……save and invest in the local community and push for the reformation of elements of how resources are allocated.

Totally in agreement. The World Trade Organisation and ensuing globalisation has torn functioning economies apart and left the environment and the public to their fate. Grow your own food, support your own community in being as self sustaining as possible.

EDITOR'S VIEW

POOR FELLA – MY COUNTRY IS BEING DESTROYED BY GOVERNMENTS WHICH ARE ENVIRONMENTAL VANDALS The dreadful news that Adani has been given the go-ahead for the Carmichael mine is tragic. This will be the biggest coal mine in the world with carbon emissions to match annually the entire carbon emissions from all Scandinavian countries. There has been no Read more

GREEN ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITIES ACCORDING TO POLICY COSTINGS. Today’s mainstream media reports the costing of spending policies by the Greens as ascertained by the Parliamentary Budget Office. These are the priorities:- $9.3 billion to expand paid parental leave $20.4 billion to reduce income inequality ( whatever that is ) $8 billion in foreign aid $6.l billion in publicly funded dental care. Read more